Unhappy with dental work

NightOwl67

I don't know if anyone can advise me please? I've had toothache of various sorts since April 2017, I was living elsewhere and not registered locally, however I moved back to my home town last August and went back to the dentist practice I used to go to some years ago.


I've had several lots of work done on different teeth, the latest being that at the end of February this year I started having root canal treatment, the second appointment was seven weeks later and the third was, again, seven weeks after that, which should have been this Tuesday just gone, but the practice phoned me to say the dentist had cancelled all her appointments for that day (no reason given), and re-scheduled me for 27th June! Since the last appointment I have had several pieces of a different tooth fall out, and am afraid to eat and brush my teeth. I have managed to book an appointment for a second opinion at a different NHS practice next Monday which will cost me £24. I was wondering if anyone has dental knowledge and would know if the treatment I'm getting is reasonable or not as to me it doesn't seem so! Is it normal to wait so long between appointments for instance?

Toothsmith

It's hard to say. I've no idea what's happening at that practice - there could be all sorts going on. Maybe an ill dentist they are having to cover for, so everyone is over-busy at the moment. It could be that they just need to look after loads of patients to fulfil their NHS contract, and so patient care suffers a bit.

It isn't ideal to have timings like that, but shouldn't really be too much of a problem if everything else is OK too. It seems though, that it isn't with you, so finding somewhere a bit less busy might not be a bad idea. You need to be happy with your dental practice and know that they are looking after you.

Rita2456

it may be sensible to ask the local commissioning group to assist. it may be a genuine problem at the practice with staff illness etc

NightOwl67

Thanks for your replies, I've since spoken to several people and they've said the wait between appointments is ridiculous - it should never be that long! A friend had root canal treatment five years ago and it was all done within about four or five weeks!! I also was sent to sit in the waiting room for forty minutes after I'd had the local anaesthetic, while the dentist was seeing other patients, that doesn't seem right to me either. She also only works there two days a week, so I don't know what she does the rest of the week.


I'll see how things go at the other practice this afternoon, can't be any worse I'd have thought.